Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Somalia instead of Malaysia, you would:
Health
be 36.1% less likely to be obese
In Malaysia, 23.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 14.9% of people as of 2024.
live 17.8 years less
In Malaysia, the average life expectancy is 77 years (74 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 59 years (56 years for men, 62 years for women) as of 2024.
see 96.4% less spent on your healthcare
Malaysia spends $1,441 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Somalia spends $52 as of 2023.
have 64.5% less access to essential health services
Malaysia scores 76 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Somalia scores 27 as of 2021.
be 40.9% more likely to die by suicide
Malaysia has a suicide rate of 5.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Somalia, it is 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 5.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Malaysia, 3.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Somalia, that number is 18.9% as of 2025.
be 10.9 times more likely to live below the poverty line
In Malaysia, 5.1% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Somalia, however, that number is 55.4% as of 2022.
make 95.0% less money
Malaysia has a GDP per capita of $13,125 as of 2025, while in Somalia, the GDP per capita is $661 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.4 times more children
In Malaysia, there are approximately 12.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Somalia, there are 42.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 21.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Malaysia, approximately 26.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Somalia, 563.0 women do as of 2023.
be 43.5% less likely to be literate
In Malaysia, the literacy rate is 95.8% as of 2022. In Somalia, it is 54.1% as of 2022.
be 9.3 times more likely to die during infancy
In Malaysia, approximately 7.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Somalia, on the other hand, 65.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 49.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In Malaysia, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Somalia, that number is 50% of people on average (79% in urban areas, and 24% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 71.5% less likely to have internet access
In Malaysia, approximately 98.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Somalia, about 27.9% do as of 2024.
be 23.1% less likely to have access to drinking water
In Malaysia, approximately 98% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 95% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Somalia, that number is 75% of people on average (84% in urban areas, and 68% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Geography
see 35.3% less coastline
Malaysia has a total of 4,675 km of coastline. In Somalia, that number is 3,025 km.
Safety
be 45.3% more likely to die in a road accident
In Malaysia, road accidents kill 13.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Somalia, they kill 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 94.7% less home broadband
Malaysia has 13.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Somalia has 0.7 as of 2023.
live with 7.1 times more strain on fresh water
Malaysia withdraws 3% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Somalia withdraws 25% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 99.4% less CO2
Malaysia emits 8.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Somalia emits 0.1 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Malaysia vs. Somalia
Somalia: At a glance
How big is Somalia compared to Malaysia? See an in-depth size comparison.